About 3 years ago, before I became a web developer, I had an idea for a mobile app that I thought would help businesses turn the tables of convenience towards them in a world of on-demand services. The only way to get this idea to life and out in the wild was, I was going to have to raise money. A lot of money. I started learning how to raise capital and built my business plan. I began building a team and went out talking to investors and meeting with mentors. All this while running my current business and losing money at the same time. The stress was high and my family wanted more time with me than I could figure out how to provide. The caveat… I later learned that I had time, but the stress level wouldn’t let me see or realize it. Perhaps it was time to open my herb cabinet.

Licorice Root and Passion Flower

I can’t say I found a solution to time and stress management in herbs. That was all in my head. But a few friends of fibrous demeanor popped up to offer light on the situation. Licorice root and passion flower. These are herbs that should be approached with caution, care, and certainly appreciation. I am not skilled to tell you what these herbs should be used for, but I can tell you how I reacted to them.

My personal recipe was simple.

• 1 tbsp of dried passion flower. I put this in a mesh ball.
• 2 or 3 sliced sticks of licorice root about the size of my pinky.
• 1 bag of black tea.
• Enough honey to make me happy (That was different on any given day).

I put all these in a small coffee thermos and poured boiling water over them. Because of the root, the water needed to stay hot for awhile to be well steeped. About 30 minutes to 2 hours is a fine range of time to work with, but I’m known for letting teas and herbs steep on the kitchen counter for nearly 12 hours.

My experience? Well, I felt pleasantly dumb. After drinking my tea, I would be awake and alert, but calm and relaxed. Having a conversation was tough because I was so calm and mentally unconcerned. Of course, this is no state to be conducting work in, but I had achieved my goal. There was no stress to cause me physical, mental, or emotional strain. I didn’t feel drugged at all, either. Just unusually calm.

This is the power of herbs. I have a feeling a few readers will be eager to suggest these two not be taken together. I recommend to anyone considering one or both of these herbs find themselves well informed before using them. Neither should be used as a tonic or something taken on a frequent and regular basis.

Below are a few places you can get these herbs.

Licorice Root Sticks at Mountain Rose Herbs (not an affiliate link)
Starwest Botanicals Organic Passion Flower Herb Cut and Sifted Loose Leaf Tea – 4 Ounce Bag (affiliate link)

You can get both of these herbs at Mountain Rose Herbs (which we all know and love) and Starwest Botanicals (which I highly recommend, I’ve used them for years and they sell on Amazon).